Best way to Larange point 2?

[francisdrake]

What would be the best way to reach the Earth-Moon Lagrange Point L2, which is some 60.000 km beyond the far side of the moon?

Szenario thoughts: An installation at the Earth-Moon-Lagrange point 2 (e.g. a deep-space telescope) shall be serviced by a manned expedition. The service crew is launched on a powerful rocket (SLS) in a space capsule (Orion) .

What would be the best way to get there, with 'best' being a compromise of
- limited delta V, both at TLI (trans-Lagrange injection) and capture at L2.
- short travel time, a few days to weeks each direction

Could it be a long ellipse aiming well ahead of the moon, waiting for the L2 point to come along from behind?
Or a reverse slingshot around the moon, aiming to stop dead just at the distance of the L2 point above the far side of the moon?
Or avoid the moon altogether with an out-of plane maneuver, dropping in on L2 from above the eclipitc?

I would be pleased if you could give me some of your thoughts.

 

[BruceJohnJennerLawso]

Oh, another Lagrangian hunter eh?

Check this thread post #5

http://www.orbiter-forum.com/showthread.php?t=30553

No idea how to fly that, but I plan on doing a real time mission to EML2 during the Christmas 2013 break.

 

[francisdrake]

Thanks! The graphics of Farquhar's 9 day transfer orbit is excellent. Also the dV for capture at L2 (147 m/s) is much lower than I expected.